The Supermarine Spitfire is Britain's most famous fighter aircraft. The Mk.V version was used between the Battle of Britain and D-Day; and thus saw much of the hardest fighting of the war. Details are provided of a wide selection of historic machines and fascinating colour schemes, as well as full technical details.

Jim Bates
The Spitfire Mk. V is arguable the most popular and famous of the Spitfire family and is the subject of Mushroom Model Publication’s lasted book. There are many excellent Spitfire books; however, most of them cover the Spitfire family and not a particular variant. So this book is very refreshing in that respect. In their promotional material Mushroom Model Publications state that the book contains “new facts and new research.” They have not just reiterated Spitfire legend, but have approached many issues anew and drawn new conclusions. These include Operation Jubilee stripes, and the controversial Malta Spitfires. The book is a 128 page paperback and has 195 photos and 49 colour profiles.
The first chapter deals with development of the Mk. VA, VB, and VC series. Even such one offs as the Floatfire, two seaters, and the DB-605 Spitfire are covered. This chapter is rounded out with a production summary with serial number blocks. Next up is RAF and Fleet Air Arm use, with listings of all RAF squadrons that operated the Spitfire as well many photos. Camouflage and markings are covered in the next chapter and this is where some of the controversial issues arise. I agree with the author with regard to many of the issues he discusses, but I doubt anyone will every be able to confirm how Malta Spitfires were painted. The next chapter deals with foreign users of the Spitfire including the United State. The author states that Canada only operated Spitfires in RAF units, but at least one Spitfire VB (ER824) was flown in Canada. The next chapter is a technical description of the Spitfire including many drawings. One word of warning is that the wing bulges are missing from the Spitfire VC wing drawing on page 78. Lastly, we have a set of 1/72 Spitfire V drawings, some colour photos of restored Spitfires, one page of World War II era colour photos and a nice set of colour profiles. Tucked into the colour profiles is one colour shot of a Malta Spitfire.
Overall this is an excellent introduction to the Spitfire Mk. V and I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a one-stop reference on the Spitfire Mk. V.

IPMS St. Louis  2013-09-28

Reviewer: John Brooks
Spitfire enthusiasts - modelers and technophiles alike - will want to
acquire a copy of MUSHROOM MODEL PUBLICATIONS' newest modeler- oriented
monograph, SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK V by Wojtek Matusiak. The book's 128
pages are packed with information on all the variants of this, the most
numerous of all Spitfire variants (nearly 6,500 built). I counted 126 black
and white photos, 73 color shots (most of which are of the close-up detail
variety) and 51 beautifully rendered color profiles.
Also included are serial number lists, tables of assigned squadron users and
ID letters, notes on camouflage and markings, technical drawings and 1/72
scale plans of the Mk5B. This book will help you sort out those pesky little
external differences that arose within and between the various Spit V
sub-variants; and all this for a mere $19.95!
The one criticism that I have of this book is that it does not adequately
address all the externally visible differences between the "B" and "C"
wings. Not only was the armament rearranged and the landing gear raked 2
inches forward; the clearance bulges over the wheel wells were removed, and
the landing gear doors were bulged along the axis of the gear legs. Despite
this minor failing, SPITFIRE MK V can be wholeheartedly recommended to
anyone with an interest in the subject.

Hyperscale.com  2013-09-28

Reviewed by Steven Eisenman
If ever there was an icon of the RAF in WWII, it would have to be the Spitfire Mk V. With nearly 6,500 having been produced and having been flown by pilots from nearly every combatant in the war, the Mk V would have to be one of the most easily recognizable and well known aircraft of the war.
While there are any number of excellent books on the Spitfire in general, including the weighty “Spitfire – The History” (aka “The Spitfire Bible”), I cannot recall a good basic coverage of each of the individual marks. It is just such absence that makes the new Mushroom Model Magazine Special such a welcome addition to the literature on the Spitfire.
As is the case with other MMM Specials, this monograph is logically arranged. There is an overview of the development of the Mk. V including a description of the variants, such as the VA, VB, VC, LFV and so forth. There is also a listing of serial numbers by production facility, the version and delivery dates.
The next section deals with the operational use by the RAF. But this is really nothing more than a compendium of squadrons which flew the Mk V, the codes of those squadrons and the operational dates for their use of the Mk V.
The various camouflage schemes applied to the Mk. V in RAF service are then discussed. This includes a discussion of the Malta Spitfires ( A subject near and dear to me.). While Matusiak seems to come down on the side of an unknown dark gray for Operation Calendar aircraft, he does qualify his opinion and leaves the door open to other possibilities. What is most valuable is that the book has a well reproduced color picture of BR112 (Yellow X) after it crashed in Sicily. This aircraft was in the Operation Calendar delivery in April ’42 and was one of the Spitfires painted aboard the USS Wasp. I still vote for a dark, dark blue.
The book proceeds to list all the foreign users of the Mk V, and, where appropriate, describes any applicable camouflage and marking variations.
Mr. Matusiak then gets “technical” by providing a brief overview of the construction of the Mk V, including all the appropriates specs. However, one thing bothers me. He provides drawings of the wing structure, both top and bottom, for the A, B and C variants. But for the C wing, there is no indication of the breach bulge on the top of the wing. Yet, the bulges are shown for the B wing. This could result in quite a bit of modeling confusion.
There is then a full color photographic walk-around. Mr. Matusiak carefully qualifies the pictures by stating that not all the aircraft photographed were built as Mk Vs, but the pictures were chosen to depict those aspects appropriate to the Mk V in wartime service. A couple of points worth noting: The picture of the cockpit shows a black seat, but one can see that the original rust-red was most likely over painted. Also, Mr. Matusiak seems to indicate that the red crowbar on the cockpit access door is a modern affectation, and that the original wartime crowbar was either natural metal or RAF cockpit gray-green.
The book concludes with a number of profiles, but no real surprises here.
Some final points. For those who want to do a Mk V in D-day stripes , there are two excellent pictures. One of a VC, AB509/ J*MC belonging to W/Cdr Johna (sic) M. Checketts. The other is of a VB, BL591 / BA*U (over score on the U) of 277 Squadron. Then there is the issue of those odd cowling and tail-plane white stripes (four wrapped over the cowl and two on each tail-plane) that appeared on a number of Spitfires in the summer of ’42. In two separate statements, Mr. Matusiak indicates that these were applied by virtue of a Fighter Command signal of 5 July, 1942 and removed by a subsequent signal of 17 July, 1942, and that such markings appeared about the time of the abandoned Operation Rutter. It would have been good if he could have been more specific as to whether these were experimental makings in general, or developed in connection with the proposed operation. He states that these making had nothing to do with Operation Jubilee.
While some Spitfire boffins may consider this volume too basic, the Mushroom Model Magazine Special on the Spitfire Mk V is a commendable addition to any modeler’s library.

ModelingMadness.com  2013-09-28

Reviewed by Scott Van Aken
The latest in the excellent series of books from Mushroom Models Publications is this one on the Spitfire V. As many of you, I really didn't think that the Spitfire V was that complicated an aircraft in terms of variants. However, I was soon shown to be wrong in this. It is nearly as convoluted a variant as the Bf-109G-6. This is as much due to the different wings and that the airframes themselves could be converted from earlier versions as much as new made. Then there are the different equipments added to the aircraft during its lifespan. Add in that each of the manufacturing sites; whether they be Supermarine, Westland or Castle Bromwich and you can see how things get confused.
The book touches on all those differences and does so in an exemplary manner. It is a very easy read and debunks a few myths, such as the existence of Operation Jubilee markings and the colors used on some Malta based aircraft.
Typical of the series, it opens with a historical perspective and goes into the differences between the subtypes. There are sections on Seafires and non British users of the aircraft as well. A technical section is included with a number of excellent drawings. This is followed by the usual 'walk around' of the aircraft, using museum and flying warbirds for the photos. Finally, there are over 20 pages of profiles and period color photographs to round out this edition.
It seems that these books get better and better with each release and this one is the best of the lot so far. All are excellent references and a series that I can most highly recommend.

Internet Modeler  2013-09-28

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl
The Supermarine Spitfire was easily the most successful of all Supermarine designs and a classic from the beginning. Its distinct lines render it unmistakable in the sky, and its long service is unmatched by any other British piston-engined fighter. The Mk. V variant was one of the most varied marks of the Spitfire (I'm not sure if the Mk. IX beats it or not). With this kind of history, it is rare that a new book would offer anything over existing books, but this title does just that. What this book is not is a unit history or combat report of the type. It is, however, just about everything else.
The book is broken down into several logical sections, starting with the development and continuing through RAF/FAA use, foreign use, RAF/FAA camouflage and markings, and a technical description. In addition to this, there are several pages of color photos showing existing Spitfire Mk. V airframes, while the last 20 percent of the book filled with color profile illustrations. All of this in one small format book makes this a very valuable reference.
Starting with the first section on development, the text describes all of the major Mk. V variants as well as the one-off types. Reading this section really brings out the amount of research that has gone into this text. In addition to simply describing what the factory differences were, the author also goes into detail on how these differences affected the shape and appearance of the plane. This attention to the visual will be invaluable to modelers.
The sections on RAF/FAA use and foreign use should not be viewed as an operational history, but rather a comprehensive unit listing. For the RAF/FAA listing, the section provides a detailed cross reference of fuselage codes to squadrons, which is further broken down by theater. Foreign operators are broken down similarly, mainly by units but where units had different fuselage codes, those are listed as well. Tying nicely with these sections is the one on camouflage and markings. Since most foreign operators kept their Spitfires in RAF camouflage, this section is applicable for just about any Spitfire Mk. V.
Wrapping this all together are the color profile pages, of which there are many. There are over fifty side view profiles, along with some top and bottom views, covering a wide range of Spitfire Mk. V color schemes. While the majority are RAF/FAA types, all the foreign operators get at least one profile.
This is an outstanding book with excellent coverage on the Spitfire V. The depth of research is amazing and puts this book in the must-have pile.